Making Amends
by Keena84
Summary: After wrapping up a job, Jayne, Mal, and Zoe return to "Serenity" to learn that River has slipped off into the woods. With a storm brewing, the crew races to find her, but she and Jayne are washed away by a flash flood. Set after "Trash" and before "Objects in Space." **Rated T for language.**
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing. This is fanfic - no profit, just experience.

 **Main Characters:** The main action follows Jayne and River, but nearly each character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Thank you, Pink-Pencil-Girl303! I am new and appreciate your advice on posting.

 **Chapter 1**

Jayne was in a foul mood by the time he broke through the underbrush into the clearing where _Serenity_ waited. It hadn't rained since early morning, but the grey clouds scudding across the sky had kept the sun from drying anything out. He'd spent a couple hours lying in the cold mud, staring through a spotting scope while Mal and Zoe conducted their exchange. Then he'd had a ten-mile hike back to the ship through the damp foliage.

He was cold, wet, and tired. A quick shower, pot of black coffee while he cleaned Vera, and call it a night.

As Jayne thudded into the cargo bay, heavy boots leaving clots of mud in his wake, he could hear the ticking of the mule's cooling engine. He must have made decent time if Mal and Zoe had just gotten back too.

He started up the metal stairs to the dining area when he heard Mal swear down in the infirmary. Foot raised, the urge to turn around and check on his captain flitted through his mind before he slammed his foot onto the grating and continued stomping up the stairs. "Ain't none of my bus'ness," he muttered. Whatever had happened to Mal hadn't happened on his watch. The transaction had gone down smoothly and Zoe and Mal had walked away in one piece.

Just as he was rounding the landing to continue his climb he heard Kaylee's voice before Mal cut her off and shouted her down. That wouldn't stand.

Jayne stormed down the stairs and into the infirmary. " _Juh shi suh mo go dohng shee_?"

Five faces turned to him and for a moment no one said anything.

"This _chwen joo_ ," Mal finally ground out, "let his sister get lost instead of keeping an eye on her." Mal rounded back on the ship's doctor. "I made it clear to you when I let you stay- "

"Captain." As always, Zoe was able to stop him with one word.

Kaylee took up the explanation, saying, "It weren't no one's fault. We were all workin' on stuff and she must have just decided to go for a walk. No one knew she was gone until a little before y'all got back."

"Don't explain what all the yellin's about."

"Well, Jayne," Mal's voice took on a familiar snarky edge, "seems we're expected to go right back out into the cold and find the girl."

"Shiny," Jayne sneered back, eyes locked on the doctor.

Simon, however, had his eyes riveted to the floor. It wasn't out of shame. Jayne could see the man's clenched fists and tightened jaw. He was working out his response.

Normally, Jayne would dig in and fight the inevitable but today had been a long one and the weather was getting worse as the afternoon wore on. The only thing less enticing than going out in a storm to search for that moon-headed _sah gwa_ was going out in a storm to search for her in the dark.

"Captain, we gotta go look for her," Kaylee begged.

Zoe tightened her lips but nodded in agreement. "She's part of the crew, Captain."

Jayne snorted a laugh. The girl was little more than perpetual cargo. Living, irritating cargo they never were able to off-load. Still…. "Wind's pickin' up out there. Be raining again 'fore long. Might as well get it done before the sun goes down."

"Fine. If that's how you all feel." Mal surveyed the faces in front of him and nodded. "We go in pairs. Zoe and Kaylee, you take upriver. Jayne, you and Shepherd go down river." He locked eyes with Simon, "You and I are going into the woods. Wash, stay onboard in case we need a pick up."

With that, it was done. The crew scattered in a hurry to gear up. Jayne hadn't even gotten his coat off since coming back on board, so he wasn't in need of much. He dropped his sniper rifle on his bed and refilled his canteen in the kitchen before going back down to the cargo hold.

 _Serenity_ was nestled in a clearing beside a river. That worked to their advantage, Jayne reasoned, eyeing the swollen, raging waters. The girl might be crazy, and she might be able to do some weird stuff, but no one could get across that mess. It still left three directions she could have gone, the search area expanding in an ever-widening hemisphere.

Once all six members of the search party were outside and ready, Zoe handed out radios and flashlights. There were enough of the large electric lanterns to go around, but only one radio per group.

"Keep up," Jayne growled, stalking off. The tall pines were starting to creak in the wind, and in the sky, clouds had begun to bunch up against the distant hills. It was late afternoon, but up ahead it was black as night. "Shiny."

 _Juh shi suh mo go dohng shee?_ – What the hell is this crap?

 _Chwen joo_ – Idiot/moron

 _Sah gwa_ – Fool


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank youth Pink-Pencil-Girl303 and The Scarredman for their reviews and suggestions! Also, please see an up date in the description for the placement of this story in the _Firefly_ timeline.

 **Chapter 2**

Shepherd Book did his best to keep pace, but Jayne stood a good half-foot taller and could stride through the brush like it was wet tissue paper. They had been walking for nearly thirty minutes when Jayne suddenly stopped and turned around.

"Sit up against that tree, Shepherd."

"I'm fine," he swallowed to try to mask his hard breathing.

"Sit down by that _gorram_ tree and take a drink of water." Jayne thrust out his canteen.

The older man accepted the water without a word and sat down to catch his breath. He sipped sparingly while he watched the big man stare at the sky.

"Clouds should break any minute now." Jayne walked to the riverbank and toed at the crumbling sides. "Dirt's all soft. Too much rain. Don't get near the edge."

"Thank you. I'll keep that in mind." He watched the man pace some more before suggesting he take a break too.

"Don't need one," was the reply.

Book would have liked to stay longer, but he felt a fat raindrop hit his cheek and he knew it was time to start moving again. Undoubtedly, the girl hadn't worn much in the way of protection from the elements. He stood and handed the canteen back to his surly partner.

"I don't mean to criticize, but is there any way you could sound… less menacing? Perhaps saying her name, instead of 'girl?' I know she gets sort of…."

"Moon-headed," Jayne offered.

"Well, I was going to say 'timid.' I just thought, she may be overwhelmed right now and not come to us if we don't sound…." Again, he found himself at a loss for words but hurried on before his companion could interject another sour word. "Encouraging."

"GIRL!" Jayne barked, turning away and marching further into the forest.

With a sigh, Shepard Book followed.

The rain was coming down in a solid sheet, driven by the wind. Even trees weren't able to provide much cover. Instead they swayed and groaned as needles and small twigs were sent soaring through the air by the gusts.

The mostly silent march through the woods was uncomfortable and Shepherd couldn't keep himself from filling the void. He knew it would irritate Jayne.

"What happened to the river?"

"What kind of stupid question is that? It's right there!" The young man gestured vaguely toward the deep ravine to the left.

"The water is lower." Even staying well back from the edge, the priest could see there was almost a shore at the bottom of the steep drop. "The river at the clearing was almost flooding."

"We passed a dam back a ways. Trees and rocks blockin' the flow of the river. Ain't gonna hold forever keeps rainin' like this."

Book felt a shiver run through him. He should have brought gloves he realized, switching the boxy lantern to the other hand. He jammed his icy hand into his pocket and felt a wave of nausea roll over him. He had a coat and had only been out in the weather for an hour. He doubted River had left the ship prepared.

"It's my fault," the miserable words tumbled out without him really considering them.

"Ain't your fault. But yammerin' on like this is only gonna wear you out faster."

"No, Jayne. It is my fault. I knew that Wash and Kaylee were busy in the engine room. River and I had taken stock of the kitchen supplies we needed together, but I wanted to spend some quiet time reading the Good Book. She, well, she's not ideal to have around then."

Shortly after the Tams had joined the crew, River had taken it upon herself to 'correct' the bible he carried. He had been able to recover most of the pages she had ripped out.

"Don't see how that's your fault. Crazy girl rippin' up your book. Wouldn't want her 'round neither. 'Sides, ain't your job to watch her. Don't your book say something about being your brother's keeper? Sounds like even God thinks it's her brother's job to make sure she don't go makin' trouble."

"Well, that's not exactly what that passage means. We are all brothers and sisters in God's eyes, so it is all of our responsibility to watch and help each other."

Jayne snorted as he stopped and unfastened his canteen from his belt.

"I can't help but feel that I should have brought her down to the infirmary and made sure Simon could keep an eye on her." He took the proffered water. "Thank you."

"Did y'all make sure Moon-brain weren't hidin' on the ship somewhere?"

The older man wiped his mouth on his sleeve and handed back the container. "We did. We checked her favorite hiding places and called out to her. Simon was convinced she left the ship."

"Better be right. If I've been out here in the _gorram_ hurricane and she's safe and warm-"

"Quiet!" Over the wind and his companion's complaints, Shepherd thought he heard a faint voice. "River!"

Both men started running through the thick foliage, calling as they went. The soft cries for help grew louder. Jayne skidded to a sudden stop, flashlight beam trained on a fresh washout on the river bank. He waved for his companion to stay back and edged slowly over until he could look down.

" _Ta ma duh_."

"What? Is she alright? What do you see?" The priest stood on his toes, staying back but straining to see.

"Gotta find a big branch or something. Should have brought some _gorram_ rope. _Ta ma duh_!" Jayne paced back, light sweeping the area for what he needed. The beam flashed across Shepherd's face and the fear must have been clean. The big man sighed and kept searching. "Girl's fine. Muddier than a pig. Can't tell if she's scratched up at all, but she's standing. Problem is the bank's too soft. Ain't no way back up."

"We could call _Serenity_." Book fumbled the radio out of his pocket with numb, nervous hands.

With a shake of his head the other man said, "Let 'em know we found the girl." He gestured up at the sky. "Wind's gonna make it damn near impossible to hold the ship steady, even for Wash. Grapplin' line'll get caught up in the trees."

Shepherd radioed in their situation while Jayne wrestled with a damaged limb from a nearby tree.

The two men walked back to the bank, avoiding recently collapsed area. "Don't worry, Sweetheart! We're going to get you out."

"Shouldn't promise things that you don't know are true." The rough man dropped to his stomach and worked his way closer, pushing the branch in front of him. "If you're gonna help, get down like this. Displaces the weight and might keep us from joinin' her down there."

Book wiggled up beside his companion as the branch was lowered. River clambered at the side, jumping and reaching for the lifeline. Her hands came away full of pine needles.

"Not long enough," Jayne muttered edging out a little further. But, it was no use. All River could reach was weak, young twigs. Nothing that could support her weight. He scooted back and sat up on his knees. "Preacher, I'm gonna need you to push that branch down like I was. Think you can pull her up on your own?"

The older man glanced down at the thin girl in her blue sundress, dark eyes huge in her pale face. "I can pull her up, but what are you going to do?"

"Push." With that, he slid down the already ruined muddy embankment.

Book watched as the young man dug his right foot into the bank as far as he could. He was talking to River, explaining what he wanted her to do, no doubt. She was shaking her head and pacing. That was never good and Jayne was the wrong man to talk her down.

"You're going to drown." Her matter-of-fact voice carried up the hill.

"We're both gonna drown if you don't get your _gorram_ ass up that _gorram_ hill!" Jayne grabbed her arm and drug her up onto his knee. "Lower the branch, Shepherd!" He pushed the girl up where she caught the branch and began scrabbling up, but the embankment began to crumble sending the two down on their backs beside the river.

A few more attempts left the ravine wall eroded.

"Try again!"

"It's no good! We'll walk down the ravine a ways. Might be a tree hanging over or the edge might be lower." He pulled River to her feet and brushed some mud from her shoulders. Her skin was frigid.

"Jayne- "

"Ain't no way 'round it, Shepherd. We're just wasting time here."

"What should I do?"

"Let _Serenity_ know what's goin' on. Maybe someone can get out here on the mule and bring rope with them. After that? Do your best to keep up."

Shepherd fished out the radio again as he watched Jayne roughly tug River with him, jogging over loose rocks.

"Shepherd to _Serenity_. Come in."

"Shepherd, this is Wash. I read you."

"Wash, we can't get River out of the ravine, the embankment is too soft. Jayne is taking her downstream to try to find a better place to climb out. I am going to try to keep up with them."

"Downstream? Why go down? We could get to them faster if they came upstream."

"I guess Jayne figured he didn't see a viable option as we passed."

The radio clicked as Wash began to respond, but his reply was drowned by the loudest sound Book had ever heard. It wasn't really one sound but an amalgamation of sounds happening at the same time as the dam broke. He heard the reverberating crack as the downed trees shattered into splinters under the pressure of the water, joined quickly by a rushing roar as water surged down the riverbed.

Book bolted into the brush. The other two had to have heard it. He needed to get to them and pull them out before the water reached them.

"Jayne! River! The dam!"

Not far ahead he heard a bellow, "We know! _Guhn Kwai_!"

"I am!" He pushed through the shrubs and knelt at the edge and held his hand out to River.

Jayne threw his arms around the girl and ran at the hillside, lifting her as high as he could. Book's fingers brushed hers momentarily before the mud shifted and the two slid back down. Gathering herself, the girl clamored up the disintegrating embankment. The young man with her scooped her up and wrapped his arms around her and locked eyes with the priest.

"Find us."

Then the water took them. Book sent the beam of light searching the roiling water but there was no sign of either crew member among the flotsam.

He became aware of Wash trying to get his attention. "I'm here," his voice coarse.

"You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought something happened when I couldn't get you back."

"Dam broke." He kept the button depressed while he regained his composure. "The dam broke and they're gone. Washed downriver." He didn't really want to hear Wash squawk at him for more details, but he lifted his thumb.

Mal's calm voice crackled over the radio, "Shepherd, you think you can find your way back?"

"Just keep the river to my right." He made no move to stand.

"Good. Start walking this way. Zoe's already headed out with the mule. She'll meet you and bring you in."

Book wasn't melancholy by nature, nor did he hide from his responsibilities, but in that moment, he didn't want to get back to _Serenity_. He couldn't feel the cold mud soaking into the knees of his pants where he knelt, the rain stinging like ice on his face and hands, or the wind pushing him and pulling at his jacket.

The water in front of him began to calm. Still fast, it no longer swirled and foamed. He stood and turned away, beginning his slow trek back home, alone.

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Ta ma duh_ – Damnit

 _Guhn kwai_ \- Hurry


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 3**

Kaylee had never seen Simon furious before. She'd seen him mad, of course, but he was way past that now. He paced back and forth in the infirmary waiting lounge, hands rubbing his red face. She had expected him to cry, but he hadn't.

"Get out of my way, Captain Reynolds."

The captain stood in the doorway to the cargo hold, arms crossed. "I don't think so."

"You have no right to hold me here, Captain. I am going to find my sister."

"I am the captain of this ship, and as a member of my crew, I am giving you an order: You are going to stay here. Best get ready to treat Shepherd."

"Then I quit." The doctor stood, chin out, squared off with Mal.

Kaylee's heart pounded as she tried to think up something to say. If only Inara was here. She would know what to say to Simon. She would be able to get him to see reason while saying all the right things to soothe his fears for his sister.

"You quit?" Mal shifted to watch the younger man stalk off toward the passenger quarters. "You didn't by chance bring a flashlight, rope, and matches with you when we picked you up on Persephone, did you?"

Simon spun around. "What does that mean?"

"I'm just thinking, it's pretty nasty out there," Mal responded. "Since you're not a member of this crew, I can't let you take any of our rescue equipment so I'm just hoping you have some."

Simon stormed back, raging, "Are you serious? You can't even let me take a few things? What if I buy them? I have money! But, I am not going to just let you manipulate me into abandoning my sister!"

"Anything you take is something I don't have come morning to use to rescue my missing man."

They reminded Kaylee of two bulls as they stood face to face, breathing hard. She was afraid they would turn the argument physical, but suddenly the young doctor seemed to melt.

"Please. She's my sister! I just got her back. I can't. I can't lose her again." He ran a hand across his eyes. "When Zoe and Shepherd Book get back, why can't we at least take the ship up and try to find them?"

The captain softened his stance, dropping his arms to his side, shaking his head. "The wind is getting upwards around 50 miles an hour out there. _Serenity_ is a space ship, she's not made for flying in a storm."

"I think your ship can hold up against the wind, Captain. It's built to withstand entering atmosphere."

Mal shook his head. "This isn't about her hull integrity, Doctor," he explained. "Even if Wash could hold her steady against the gusts and turbulence that's bound to be going on over that river, we have no spotlight. The only way we could really search the area would be to lower someone from the tow line with a light. And if they weren't slammed into our belly, they'd be tangled in the trees."

"I'm willing- "

"I don't give a _gorram_ if you are willing! It's all a waste of time because our flashlights aren't powerful enough. You wouldn't be able to see shit."

"She's my sister!"

"I know. But getting yourself killed isn't going to help her none." Mal rested a hand on Simon's shoulder, "'sides, she isn't alone out there."

"Yeah," the doctor agreed, turning toward the infirmary, "she's with the guy who tried to sell her back to the Alliance."

Watching the young physician start preparing for his patient, Mal muttered, " _Gorramit_ , I wish Inara was here." He turned to Kayee and said, "Keep an eye on him," before leaving.

She sat on the cat-walk, watching Simon hang a bag of fluid and get a forced-air patient warming device set up near the large bed along the opposite wall. On a tray, he placed a vial and syringe, along with a needle and tubing. She loved watching him work. Everywhere else he was out of place, but this was his element. He never searched for things. It talked to him the way _Serenity's_ engine talked to her.

The mule roared into the cargo bay, and soon Shepherd was bundled into the infirmary by Zoe and Mal. Wash came down the stairs and sat by Kaylee.

Together they watched in silence as Book discreetly changed into a set of dry pajamas and lay down on the bed. He had a vacant look in his eyes as he moved mechanically.

Kaylee remembered the strange, disjointed chill she had felt when she was in shock from getting shot. Under the warm blanket, she could see the elderly man's teeth chattering as Simon placed an IV and attached the tubing from the fluid bag. She wondered if that was how she'd looked. Cold, scared, alone. He didn't seem to see the worried faces around him.

Shepherd began to feel the effects of the sedative that was pushed through his IV, and his eyes began to droop. Soon he was asleep, shivering under the warm blanket.

Wash went to meet Zoe and Mal as they left the infirmary, headed to the upper level. Part of Kaylee wanted to go too, but part of her wanted to stay and watch Simon in his busy little bubble. After lingering a few moments longer, she stood and made her way to the kitchen, too.

Wash had made Zoe a cup of coffee, sitting beside her as she warmed her hands on the mug. The captain sat on his first officer's other side, listening to her talk as Kaylee quietly joined them.

"He didn't say much when I picked him up," Zoe said. "Thanked me for coming out for him, but he didn't even balk when I told him to put his arms around me. That was unusual."

Wash looked past his wife and asked, "Do you think he'll be ok?"

"Well, I think that's a question for the doc, but he's a lot tougher than we give him credit for," Mal replied. After a pause he continued, "No sense sitting up all night. Tomorrow's going to be a long one; best get some sleep."

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 4**

Jayne grabbed River just before the wall of water crashed into them. He did his best to keep ahold of her, but the current pounded him into the rocky bottom and she broke from his grasp. The water pushed and spun him as he struggled for the surface.

His lungs felt like they were going to explode, and his mind screamed for air. Finally, he felt the wind chilling his face and he gasped. In the darkness, he searched for the girl but it was nearly impossible to tell a head or body from a log or any other flotsam swirling around him.

Before he was able to catch his breath and begin calling out, he was slammed into a boulder and pulled back under by an eddy. He pushed away from the rock face and burst from the water, choking. His chest throbbed.

Just ahead of him, Jayne could see what looked like someone flailing in the water. Though the water was moving fast, the surface was relatively calm. Swimming with the current toward the thrashing figure, it wasn't long before he caught up with a wide-eyed River.

Jayne reached out, "Give me your – _Gorramit_! Stop thrashing!" She finally grabbed hold of him and nearly climbed on his back.

She didn't weigh much, even soaking wet, but he was struggling to stay above water as it was. They had to get to shore. He swam downstream, angling toward the river bank. The swollen channel brought them nearly to the top of the embankment that had been impossible to climb just moments before. As they got near, River reached out and grasped a dead tree that had gotten wedged and began to pull herself up onto solid ground. Jayne followed suit, River pulling ineffectively at the large man's belt to help. Soon both were lying on their backs, panting.

With the immediate threat of drowning solved, the driving rain prickled their exposed flesh as the wind chilled them further. He could hear the girl's teeth chattering and felt himself start to shiver. He rolled onto his forearms and glanced around. The clouds covered the moon, blocking any light. He'd left his flashlight on the river bank during his last-ditch effort to get to safety. It was a shame the lamps were so big and boxy or he could have slipped it into a pocket. Of course, it probably wouldn't have worked after getting water logged, anyway. That thought sent his hand to his hip holster. " _Ta ma duh_!" The revolver was gone.

"Get up." Raising his eyes, River towered over him, hand reaching down to help him up out of the mud. "We need to find shelter."

When had the girl become so lucid, he wondered as she began tugging him to his feet.

His chest twinged as he pushed himself. Bruises would be inevitable, but he was positive now he'd cracked at least one rib. "Take it easy, _sah gwa_ ," he complained.

Overhead, leaves and needles swirled. Over the sound of the wind, high-pitched creaking echoed through the forest. The trees swayed.

"Probably better ought to stay away from any of the really big trees," Jayne reasoned, "But maybe if we follow the river back we can – "

"No." River cut him off. " _Yi dwei da buen chuo roh_. This way!" She grabbed his hand in an icy grip and began walking away from the raging water.

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Ta ma duh_ – Damnit

 _Sah gwa_ – Fool

 _Yi dwei da buen chuo roh_ – Big stupid pile of stinking meat


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 5**

The girl marched ahead, still grasping Jayne's hand. After regaining his feet he'd tried to pull it back, but her grip was like steel. Not one for hand holding in the first place, being led into the darkness like a child set his teeth on edge.

He almost dug in and began bellowing about how foolish it was to go wandering into a forest at night, especially when the crew would be searching along the river. But, when he'd tried to tug his arm back, she'd whipped her head around and met his eyes with a look that sent chills down his back. Her gaze held none of the panic of craziness he was used to seeing. Instead it was the same calm look she had worn right before slashing his chest with a kitchen knife.

Jayne sure as hell didn't trust the girl, rather, at times like these, she scared him.

Pine needles rained down on the pair as they trudged through the wet underbrush. Around them, the eerie creaking of timber kept in mind the ever present threat of the wind toppling one of the trees swaying like reeds.

Suddenly, she stopped, announcing, "We're here."

Jayne jerked his hand back and tucked both of his freezing appendages into his armpits. "We're where," he demanded, squinting around at the darkness.

They had reached the base of a rocky outcropping, but there was nothing visible that seemed worth the risk of getting lost.

Without a word, she started to scramble up the rock face.

"Sure," he rumbled out in complaint, "that you can climb."

From above, he heard her call down to climb too. He almost sat down against the wall, just to show he wouldn't be taking orders from a _chwen joo_ like her, but something made him accept her challenge. He'd followed her this far; might as well see it through.

The rocks were slick with mud and his frozen fingers burned. Soon, he caught up to where the girl hung effortlessly from the steep cliff. Once at her side, they made their way across, moving horizontally, an opening beginning to take shape – a cave Jayne hadn't seen from the ground.

The cavern was large with a high ceiling, opening to the lee side of the hill. Under foot, Jayne felt debris, and when he knelt it was dry. He fished his lighter from an inside pocket and brushed away the dead foliage to clear a long stretch of the stone floor. He began running the flint wheel on the ground, drying it. Once the lighter was dry, he flicked a flame to life and quickly surveyed the cave.

The floor of their shelter was littered with leaves. They were old and dry, sure to light but quick to burn.

The girl stood with her arms wrapped around herself, shivering in her thin clothes. Knowing that any pause, stopping to rest even for a moment would allow exhaustion and cold to start clouding the mind, Jayne directed her to sweep together the leaves as best she could. Then, the leaf pile growing against one wall, he began looking for anything that would burn longer, and by the time he'd found a few larger sticks, she had cleared the floor of small debris.

"Alright," he said, setting the sticks aside and grabbing a few handfuls of leaves, "we have to get dry and we have to get warm. Don't got nothing to make a pit with, so we'll just have to make sure it don't spread, got it?"

She nodded, the familiar wide-eyed, child-like expression having returned to her round face.

He looked at the entry, then up at the roof. "Can't have it too far in. Don't want to heat the rocks and cause a collapse," he reasoned aloud. "This looks like a good spot."

Jayne set to work carefully building the fire and stoking it until the branches caught and began to burn.

"That ain't gonna burn long, so I gotta go down and see if I **can't** find some dead wood down on the forest floor. You stay here an' keep an eye on the fire. Don't let it go out, but don't make it too big neither."

After she nodded again he peeled his coat off and laid it so the lining was exposed. "Best take that dress off. Wring it out real good and put it by the fire to dry. The boots too." As he spoke, Jayne stripped his own shirts off, then redressing in just the tee-shirt and tying the thermal around his shoulders. "I'll be back," he said, edging out into the storm.

On the way down, he noticed his lungs had begun to burn and he had to pause as a coughing fit hit him. What he wouldn't do for a canteen of fresh water.

There were branches everywhere, but Jayne knew he had no time to mess around with green wood. He sought out pine limbs, knowing the sap would help them burn, and used his knife to peel back a section to make sure it was dead.

He wrapped his finds in his thermal shirt and secured the bundle to his back for the climb up to the cave.

Inside, the girl clung to herself. Her blue dress was spread before the fire, next to her boots. Jayne stripped down to his under clothing too, letting his pants and shirts steam beside the warm blaze. Stifling a cough, he began peeling the damp bark and stoking the fire.

With new fuel the fire grew, and soon he could feel the heat begin to soak into his skin and muscles. The adrenaline that had been coursing through his body all night began to dissipate as he sat breaking the branches into smaller chunks.

The girl's dress was a light material so it dried quickly, but wasn't much protection from the cold air, so the two huddled together. Jayne had the wood stacked beside him as he wrapped his arms around the small, shivering frame. Her teeth chattered as she pulled her knees up, and he could feel his breath bubbling in his lungs as his cough became deeper.

A few hours ago he was heading for his bunk, to Vera and as much hot coffee as he could drink. Now he was soaking wet, hugging the moon-headed girl, and coughing up all the river water he'd swallowed.

"Drowning," she whispered softly.

"What was that?" His voice was rough.

"Sorry." She leaned her head back onto his chest.

His stomach lurched as she went limp, but he could feel her breathing. Just asleep.

" _Sah gwa_ ," he mumbled.

 _Chwen joo_ – Idiot/moron

 _Sah gwa_ – Fool


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 6**

The sound of a distant gunshot jolted him awake, sending his hand instantly to his side, scrabbling for the revolver holstered on his hip. He found nothing. In fact, he discovered he was wearing almost nothing.

As his heart stopped pounding, Jayne felt realization flood back in. He was in a cave with the girl. The sound that had woken him was a tree falling.

Easing her down on her side, he stood. His chest ached, and there was a strange tightness. He remembered bouncing along the bottom of the river, and in the fire light could make out a dark bruise on his chest from being washed into a boulder.

His cough was wet as he put a few more branches on the fire and checked his clothes. They were fairly dry, so he pulled on his thermal shirt and heavy canvas pants. Taking the rest back, he laid his coat across the girl's frail form as she shivered in her sleep. Her toes looked a bit blue, but she hadn't been wearing socks when she'd left _Serenity_.

" _Ta ma duh_ ," he pulled his socks onto her feet. Her brother may have said he'd do his job and treat Jayne's future injuries no matter what, but he had a feeling the doctor wouldn't be too thrilled amputating his sister's toes while Jayne kept his.

He stretched out his legs until he could feel the heat from the fire.

Outside the cave was still black. The night seemed never-ending. Lying back with his arms overhead, he felt like he breathed a little easier. Jayne drifted off again thinking about how much the _gorram_ climb down in the morning was going to suck.

When he woke again, the storm had broken and the sun was beginning to show itself, tinging the sky pink. He seemed to remember an old rhyme from Earth-that-was warning about a red morning sky.

He rolled over and pushed himself up. Every muscle ached and he doubled over, coughing up thick mucus.

Next to him the girl began to stir.

"Time to get moving," he said loudly, tugging his tee-shirt over his head. They both pulled on their boots. She held out his coat as he tied his laces. "You better wear it." Jayne shook his head, muttering, "Ain't hardly got nothing on as it is."

"Thank you," her voice was quiet. "Thank you for the socks, too." She stared at the ground as she pulled on the heavy jacket.

After stomping out the embers, the pair climbed back down the rock wall. He slipped a few times, and his leg buckled as he landed on the ground, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

" _Gorramit_ ," he growled, trying to force back a cough. "Don't suppose you know the way back to the river?"

She glanced passively at Jayne as he leaned heavily on a tree, then out at the surrounding forest. Wordlessly, she started off, away from the brightening sky. Too tired and sore to argue, Jayne followed.

His lungs were burning long before they even reached the river, and he had to stop twice to cough and clear them. The coughing fits were sapping his strength, and each breath crackled.

The girl waited patiently every time he stopped, but the look in her eyes infuriated him, driving him to push himself up and tromp on. Like hell he was dying out here with that crazy girl looking all sorrowful-like.

At the river, another wave of coughing overtook him. Foam flecked his lips and his mind swirled. He reached for the trunk of a nearby pine and missed. Coughing into the mud, Jayne watched as the girl took off running up river. " _Ni ta ma de, tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si_ ," he gasped as she sped off toward safety and warmth. "Ungrateful little –"

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Ni ta ma de, tian xia suo you de ren dou gai si_ – Fuck you, damn everyone in the 'verse

 _Ta ma duh_ – Damnit


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 7**

It wasn't quite dawn when Zoe woke up. She slipped out of Wash's arms as he moaned and tried to pull her back into bed.

Mal would want to be moving at first light and she wasn't going anywhere without a pot of coffee warming her belly. She glanced at her husband, but let him sleep. No doubt the captain would have him stay on _Serenity_. It would be hours before he needed to be up.

Dressed in her usual fashion with a set of thermals underneath, Zoe climbed the ladder to the catwalk above the crew's sleeping quarters and went to the kitchen.

Mal was already there, packing a duffle with food stuff. "Morning," he greeted his first mate.

She yawned in reply and set the kettle on to boil. Once she was working on her second cup she asked, "So, what's the plan?"

"Head out there and see if we can find 'em."

Zoe knew there was more to his thinking. Mal wasn't one to go off half-cocked but he also wasn't always the most verbose.

"I let Wash sleep," she stated, watching her commander fill canteens. "Figured you'd have him stay with the ship like yesterday. Shepherd should stay aboard." She started filling in the blanks. "Don't know how strong that shot was Doc gave him yesterday, but even if he is up and about there's no sense him going back out. I don't think I picked him up too far from where they went under."

Mal nodded. "Kaylee'll want to come, no doubt."

Zoe finished the last swig of coffee and slid away from the table. She put her cup in the sink and shouldered the pack while her superior gathered the water jugs.

"What about Simon," she asked.

"Might be a good idea to have the doctor with us. Probably looking at hypothermia, best case scenario."

"Sure, but from what I hear, he wasn't real compliant with you last night. He could be a wild card. Don't know what we'll find out there, if we find anything. What if he gets out there and you can't get him to come back in?"

She could tell from his face he'd thought the same thing already. They were quiet the rest of the way to the cargo hold. Mal was still weighing his options. He set the canteens on a crate and opened the cargo door. The rain had turned to a fine mist and the wind had dissipated. To the east, the grey sky was showing streaks of red.

Still wearing the furrowed expression she recognized from their years fighting the alliance, he asked, "Think you can get the flatbed hooked up to the mule? I'm going to go have a word with the good doctor."

Zoe waved him off and began loading supplies onto the wagon. The choice to come was going to be Simon's, ultimately. Of course they couldn't force him to stay behind, but if he gave the wrong answer now the captain would make it damn near impossible for him to join the other three.

Carefully, she balanced the weight load, tying down crates of supplies. She ran scenarios in her mind to make sure she was prepared for every eventuality while being mindful of overloading the vehicle that was going to potentially be transporting four adults as well.

Kaylee came down the stairs as the lieutenant double checked her mental list and tightened straps.

"Good morning," she called to the sleepy mechanic. "Want to spot me on the mule?"

Kaylee yawned and nodded. She crossed the hold while Zoe started up the four-wheeled bike. Together they guided the vehicle into place and secured the hitch.

Straightening from her task, the older woman cast an appraising eye over the young brunette. "You going to be warm enough?"

The other woman was wearing the coveralls she used for working on the ship's engine. "I have my wooly underwear on under this," she tugged at the coarse material, "Plus I have gloves and a hat." The matching knit hat and mittens poking from her oversized pockets looked cozy and Zoe found herself feeling a little jealous.

"Ready to head out?" Mal's voice rang across the hold.

Behind him, Simon came carrying his familiar red bag. His face was pale but his jaw was set.

Zoe swung her leg across the leather saddle and started the engine. Once Kaylee and Simon were situated on the flatbed, and Mal was seated behind her on the metal frame, they set off. It was slower going out with all the additional weight, but the mule was a steady workhorse.

The river ran high, but not as turbulent as the night before. They passed a few trees that had come down in the storm. The heavy rainfall had softened the ground to the point that the huge network of roots was no longer enough to keep the trees upright against the gale force winds. They were a chilling reminder of the struggle survival would have been just hours ago.

About an hour's walk from the ship, the heavily laden vehicle made the trip in a quarter of the time. It had felt longer the night before, in the dark and cold, when she had been unsure where she would find the priest and more than a little afraid she'd pass him. The wind and rain left her partially blinded, but she had kept the river in view and soon saw the lantern beam breaking the darkness. Knowing everything would look different in the light of day, Zoe had made a point to note the distance back to the ship.

Zoe stopped the mule near the location she'd found Shepherd and dismounted. They had planned a staggered search, dropping one person every mile, then sending the mule back to pick up the first person and start over.

The order Mal had decided on left her concerned. If they found River and Jayne, she knew they'd want the doctor close at hand. However, despite his quick thinking and intelligence, it was all just book learning – he had no practical experience in the wild. There was his emotional investment to consider as well. The way he always seemed to hover around River at the slightest sign of discomfort, and his clear dislike of Jayne. Not that Jayne didn't deserve it, trying to sell the Tams to the alliance. _Yu bun duh_!

Of course, she acknowledged, her opinion was colored too. Jayne was more valuable to the crew.

Kaylee jumped down from the flatbed and slung a canteen over her shoulders as she joined Zoe. "Remember to look for the orange flag," she reminded the younger woman, checking a radio handset. "When you get there, give me a call and I'll come back for you."

As the mechanic nodded and tucked the communication device into a pocket, Zoe straddled the 4-wheel vehicle. Once in gear, the heavy tires kicked up mud.

A mile later, she prepped the doctor. "We'll tie a flag like this when I drop Mal off." The second-in-command carried a roll of bright plastic ribbon with her and secured a length to the branch of a tree where Kaylee would be able to see it clearly. "Call me when you reach the next flag, or if you find anything." She verified the comm was set to the right channel and handed it over.

Simon fumbled with the radio before depositing it into his breast pocket. "Ok," He reached for a canteen and his medical bag before setting off.

Zoe and Mal set off for the last drop-point.

Mal chuckled behind her, "You gonna go through all those checks with me?"

"I think you can take care of yourself, but if you need…."

He didn't respond, sitting quietly for a bit. "What do you think the odds are of finding them?"

Glancing out at the swollen river again she noted that the current was still strong though less turbulent and slower than the night before. They could have been carried miles from where Shepherd had last seen the pair. Or, their bodies could be submerged, trapped by any of the number of snags or eddies they were passing. The chances of finding anything, let alone a survivor, were beyond slim. And both of the missing crewmates?

"That's what I was thinking." Her silence had spoken volumes. "Real question is, how long do we look?"

"Giving up already?" Zoe slowed the mule and turned on the saddle to eye her superior.

Mal sighed and slid off the back. "Hadn't realized what we were up against. Looks worse than I had imagined."

"We go to mid-day, then re-evaluate. We give them the benefit of the doubt."

He turned around and gave her a soft smile. They had honed their rapport over the years, taking turns playing devil's advocate and voice of reason.

Once he had collected his gear, Zoe turned the vehicle in a slow, wide circle and started back for Kaylee. She should be reaching the first flag soon.

Sure enough, before she had passed Simon, her radio crackled.

"Zoe, come in. I'm at the flag. Over."

"On my way. Over."

The mule caught up with Simon sooner than Zoe'd expected and she made a mental note of his progress.

Kaylee was waiting right beside the flag as the mule roared into view, and she hurried forward.

"Anyone find anything yet?" The empty canteen clattered as she tossed it back in the crate. "I didn't see anything, but it's hard to really check the other bank. How are we going to check there?" Her round face was damp, and her eyes looked red.

It could have been the cold wind, or the lack of sleep. But, something told Zoe the young mechanic was taking the situation hard. Kaylee was sensitive and bonded with people quickly. From the moment the Tams and Shepherd Book had set foot on _Serenity_ , she had loved them.

"Nothing yet," the darker woman said, unscrewing the cap of a gas can and began refilling the mule. "It's still early, though."

The two women were quiet for a while, the younger sniffling periodically. Zoe searched for something to say but was afraid of raising the girl's hopes. She was no good at offering words of comfort.

When the tank was full, she looked up and was surprised to see Kaylee watching her with clear eyes. Maybe it was just the cold.

"Um, Zoe? This is Simon. I'm at the flag…. Oh, uh, over?"

Kaylee took the gas can and strapped it onto the flatbed while the older woman responded, letting the doctor know that they were getting on their way and would be at his location in a few minutes.

 _Yu bun duh_ – Stupid


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 8**

Simon vacillated between hope, despair, and frustration. It felt useless to stand and wait for Zoe, even though it was only for a few minutes and Mal had already covered the ground ahead of him.

River was smart, he told himself. Smart enough to survive. Yes, the alliance had broken her mind, and at times she was like a little girl, but other times she seemed to have a precognition. She'd known there would be a fire on _Serenity_ during his birthday party and knowing Shepherd Book had been shot despite being miles away. Surely that gift would help her get to safety and stay sheltered for the night.

He tried to shut out the analytical voice in his head reminding him she'd been wearing a light dress. His mind wanted to calculate wind chill and factor in the temperature of the water. She might have gotten out of the water and may have found somewhere dry, but would she have been able to start a fire?

He glanced around again, feeling alone. He wondered again what would happen if Jayne was found first. Simon knew the man was a more important member of the crew, as far as their various illegal activities. If he could just get through to River, start healing the damage done by the Alliance, they would see how valuable she really was.

His musing was cut short by the sound of the mule pushing through the underbrush, it's old motor grumbling about overuse.

Zoe rolled to a stop and jerked her head to the back. "Climb on."

He had to hold on to the straps to keep from rolling off the back as the machine lurched forward.

They passed the captain about a half a mile later and Simon felt his ire rise. Where was his sense of urgency? The physician shook his head, realizing he couldn't have it both ways. He'd just been concerned no one was taking the search as seriously as he was; he couldn't be critical if Mal was taking his time. He certainly didn't know the first thing about a search and rescue mission, but his time with the crew of the _Serenity_ had taught him nothing was ever as simple and straight forward as it seemed.

Kaylee climbed off with a fresh canteen and a length of ribbon, and the mule continued on its way. The wind was cutting through his jacket and he started to shiver. His toes were numb, and the bottom of his pants wet and muddy. He'd resisted buying a pair of heavy boots and canvas pants, his foolish pride kept him dressing like he was a practicing physician on a central planet instead of a fugitive hiding out on a smuggler's ship.

Zoe's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He strained to hear her as the wind snatched her words away, leaning forward. Sapphire flashed through the dark green foliage in front of them, then a frail figure burst into view. Oversized, unlaced boots couldn't disguise the familiar grace as Simon recognized his sister running forward.

The mule slammed to a stop, spraying mud and moss, and he stumbled down from the trailer. They ran to each other, and when he wrapped her in is arms he could feel her shaking.

" _Xiao Mei mei_ , I've got you. It's ok. It's ok." She was wriggling in his grasp. "Look at me, _mei mei_."

Her skin was cold to the touch and her teeth chattered, but she didn't welcome her brother's warm grasp. She broke loose and tugged his coat sleeve, trying to pull him the way she had come. Behind him he could hear Zoe radioing to the others that they had found River.

"Too much water," his little sister said.

"I know, _mei mei_ , I know, but it's over. Let's go back to the ship and get you warm. I need to clean your cuts, too." He pulled back, trying to get her onto the mule.

"She say anything about Jayne," Zoe asked as she slipped out of her coat.

"Too much water." The girl was small but strong, and Simon nearly lost his balance as she pulled his arm.

Zoe draped her coat over River and placed her hands on her shoulders to keep the young woman from shrugging it off. She looked into River's eyes and asked, "Sweetheart, do you know where Jayne is?"

Simon could almost have laughed as his sister knitted her brows and frowned. He'd seen that look of frustration a million times when they were children. She'd look at him the same way when he just wasn't understanding a mathematic algorithm or scientific theory that was so clear to her.

"River," he said, "can you get on the mule and give Zoe directions to Jayne?"

A light came on in her eyes and she bolted for the vehicle, pulling her arms into the sleeves of the coat. The other two hurried behind, getting to the mule just in time to clamber aboard as River jammed it into gear with a grinding noise and a lurch.

" _Mei mei_ , let Zoe drive!" Simon called up from his precarious perch on the flatbed as the vehicle bumped along over bushes and off rocks. But it was no use. Even if she had heard him, his little sister was determined and there would be no talking her out of it.

From behind, he could see Zoe's knuckles turn white as she gripped the metal frame she was sitting on, trying to not get bounced off. The short ride seemed interminable. When it did end, it was abrupt. River suddenly slammed on the brakes without depressing the clutch and the mule died. Simon had to catch himself to keep from falling face-first into the back of the vehicle.

He stood and saw River was already off and hurrying toward Jayne, who was huddled under a pine tree, hurling oaths at the girl.

" _Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_!"

As Simon got closer, red bag in hand, he could hear the wet cough that cut off the large man's string of epithets.

Simon immediately got to work, pulling a stethoscope and pulse oximeter from his bag. The reading from the oximeter was poor. Cold had reduced circulation in the capillaries of the other man's fingers, but the crackling the physician could hear coming with each breath told him Jayne was likely not receiving as much oxygen as he should. The pulse he felt was quick but strong, and a sheen of sweat covered the man's face.

"We need to get him back to the ship," Simon called over his shoulder to Zoe.

She grunted in reply. "Way ahead of you." She was quickly off-loading all the supplies that had been secured to the flatbed and tying straps down as hand holds. "Radioed in we've got them both and for Shepherd and Wash to be ready to help us get him to the infirmary."

"Zoe, think you can help me get him up?"

"'m not some _gorram_ baby." Jayne coughed brutally.

"Then stop acting like one," snapped Zoe, grabbing him under the arm.

Together, Zoe and Simon helped him stand and walk to the waiting vehicle where River sat on a crate, watching with her wide-eyed innocence.

"Mal and Kaylee ought to be here soon. Mal said he started running when we found River. They'll stay here with her and the stuff until I come back. You and I are taking Jayne back now!"

Simon heard the other man growl, clearly uncomfortable being treated like an invalid and feeling like a burden. He knew Jayne didn't go in for the tough-guy hero persona, but he did prefer the crew never saw him weak. He was like an animal, afraid any sign of illness or injury would lead to him being left behind, so he often powered through bullet wounds and muscle strains.

With the two men seated on the flatbed, Zoe climbed up onto the mule and started it. Mal and Kaylee were coming through the brush a few yards off as the trio began the ride back to the ship.

 _Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_ – Frog humping son-of-a-bitch

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Mei mei_ _(Xiao mei mei)_ – Little sister


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 9**

Jayne opened his eyes as the sound of an engine grew louder. Something motorized was crashing through the woods in his direction. He strained to push himself up, but his lungs rasped and he fell back against the tree, coughing. He spat a thick wad onto the bed of needles bedside him. It was green and marbled with red.

An oath gurgled out. Jayne had always known he wouldn't live to old age. He'd known that before he'd ever set foot off his dust-ball of a home world. He even figured he'd die alone. Abandoned by his crew. Left for dead in a double-cross. Maybe he'd be lucky enough to go down in a hail of gunfire. No lingering, no suffering, and maybe even a folk song to commemorate him.

The mule was getting louder. They should be coming across the girl any minute. They'd pick her up, rush her back to the ship, get her all cleaned up and warm, and by the time they got around to coming back out to look for him it would be too late.

The thought made him furious. He'd risked himself for the crew countless times. He'd been shot at and shot. Sure he'd drawn room and board as well as a 10% cut on every job, but he deserved more than being an afterthought. The _chwen joo_ had been nothing but trouble since she crawled out of that _gorram_ cryo-box.

Then, there she was. It was irrational, still hating her after she had clearly brought the crew to him. But, Jayne wasn't known for his rationality.

" _Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_!" It was a foolish waste of energy, but he felt satisfied even as his vision started to grey around the edges.

The girl's irritating brother was in his face, asking questions and touching him. A faint smile touched his lips as he noticed the doctor's expensive clothes caked in mud.

The young man was saying something about breathing, making an exaggerated show of flaring his nostrils and pursing his lips. He'd clamped something onto one of Jayne's fingers and kept glancing at it with a frown.

Another wave of wet coughs erupted from Jayne's aching lungs. Simon pulled a stethoscope from his red case and pressed the bell end to the big man's filthy tee-shirt. His eyes narrowed.

"We need to get him back to the infirmary." Words were making sense to Jayne again. "Zoe can you help me get him up?"

"'m not some _gorram_ baby," he growled, struggling to push himself up. He got as far as he had last time before his arms gave out.

Zoe sighed and took his arm. "Then stop acting like one."

Simon took the other arm and they hauled Jayne to his feet. His vision darkened again and he felt the world tilt precariously. He staggered before allowing the other two to each loop one of his arms across their shoulders and place supportive hands behind his back.

Together, they made their way slowly to the flatbed and helped Jayne into a semi sitting position. The doctor squatted next to him.

From the corner of his eye, he could see the girl spin on her toes, looking up at the sky. "Rain, rain, go away," she sung, swishing the skirt of her dress.

The mule's engine guttered to life and lurched.

Watching the tree branches pass overhead made him dizzy, so Jayne closed his eyes. A hand immediately began prodding his shoulder.

"Jayne? Can you hear me? I need you to open your eyes."

He grumbled, "No."

"Jayne, you can't sleep" What a pain in the ass.

"'m not sleeping. 'm dizzy."

There was a pause, like he had just said something profound and Simon was letting it wash over him. Finally, "Ok. Keep them closed. But I am going to ask you to respond to me every few minutes."

The ride seemed to last forever, but when the mule pulled into the cargo bay it suddenly seemed like it had been surprisingly short. True to his word, the doctor had poked Jayne periodically, demanding a verbal response. These had ranged from the monosyllabic to the creatively crass.

Once back on _Serenity_ , he was instructed to open his eyes and keep them open. Book and Wash were there, helping Zoe tug him to his feet and drag him to the infirmary.

On the gurney, under the searing brightness of the exam light, a plastic mask was strapped over his nose and mouth. Forced air tickled his nose and dried his lips, but his lungs filled easier. Suddenly, he was very tired. He was safe and his body knew it. Adrenaline stopped flowing through his veins and his eyelids sagged. He expected to feel the doctor shake him and demand he open his eyes, but instead he slipped into a deep sleep undisturbed.

 _Chwen joo_ – Idiot/moron

 _Ching-wah tsao duh liou mahng_ – Frog humping son-of-a-bitch

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 10**

Mal paced beside the crates that had been pulled from the flatbed to make room for Jayne. It was a miracle that both he and River had been found. Alive, no less. Nearby, the girl frolicked under Kaylee's watchful eye. She looked a little worse for wear, but not what he'd expected to find after being washed away in a flash flood and spending the night out in the elements.

Jayne's coat swallowed River. Her hands disappeared in the sleeves. She looked like a child, spinning and dancing. She was off in her own world again. He'd tried to ask her questions but she just twirled away, singing a rhyme about the rain. Based on Zoe's terse, "He doesn't look good," it would be a while before the whole story was unraveled.

Inexplicably, the two had seemed to stay together. Though good natured for the most part, she seemed to revel in harassing and threatening Jayne. For his part, the weapon's expert had never liked her. Trying to sell her back to the alliance after she'd slashed him with a kitchen knife seemed to cement their mutual animosity.

They had probably only survived by sticking together. At times, River had a terrifying clarity that bordered on precognition. If she had been lucid, she might have been able to make it through the night, but she had been unprepared and poorly dressed. Jayne was made for survival. Muscular and experienced, he'd left the ship in warm clothes and was likely carrying a few supplies on him. Still, he'd been the one to get the worst of it. River had led them right to him and Mal wondered what kind of shape the big man would have been in if he'd had to wait for the search party to find him.

Of course, he didn't really know what kind of shape his crewman was in.

He felt a pang thinking again of Zoe's words, "He's not good." It brought back memories of the war.

Jayne was a huge pain in the ass. Argumentative and willful, his temper volatile. But he was a part of the crew. He'd put himself in harm's way more than was necessary and had had Mal's back countless times.

Of course, there was always that lingering threat. The day the money was good enough. "Well… that'll be an interesting day," Jayne had said.

Mal thought about locking Jayne in the airlock and threatening to space him if the large man ever crossed him again. He wondered if he ever really could have done it. He'd been livid after the debacle on Ariel, but he doubted he would have really sent a man to his death like that. Dropped him on some dying planet, sure. But spacing him?

He heard the mule crashing through the underbrush as Zoe returned.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 11**

Zoe was stiff and sore when she pulled the mule up beside the stack of crates. Getting off and reloading the supplies onto the flatbed was actually a relief.

They worked in awkward silence. Zoe carried the crates for Mal to tie down. Kaylee kept a close eye on River, but she shot questioning glances over at the tall, dark woman. She wished she had something reassuring to say, but after Wash and the Shepherd had staggered off with Jayne drooping between them she'd taken back off.

Zoe wasn't superstitious, but something told her the sooner they got off this _gorram_ planet the better. She'd seen Jayne down. She'd seen him shot, suffering and in pain. She'd seen him unconscious. This was different.

She remembered a plague village they had come across during the war. She remembered the way their eyes were dull and each breath rattled, their bodies drenched in sweat.

She hadn't expected to find her crew mate like that. It was less than a day since he'd stomped around the cargo bay, preparing to go out to look for River.

"Let's load up," Mal called, pulling her from her thoughts.

There was an air of weariness around the quartet as they climbed aboard. It had been an emotional day and none of them had slept well the night before. They were all cold, wet, and dirty.

Driving back to _Serenity_ , Zoe debated taking a hot shower or eating a warm meal first. If only there was a way to do both.

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 12**

River seemed unaware of the cold but Kaylee could feel her shivering as they sat together on the flatbed. Goose bumps dotted her legs.

She hadn't gotten a good look at Jayne and Simon as Zoe drove past. Now she was eager to get back to the ship and head right for the infirmary, but she decided to take the girl back to the passenger rooms and clean her up. River was caked in mud and her hair was a rat's nest of leaves and sticks. As long as Simon was busy with Jayne, Kaylee would take care of his sister. After a hot shower and a change of clothes, they'd go to the infirmary. She could see scratches on River's face and legs that would need cleaning. Besides, that would give her a chance to see how Jayne was doing.

When they finally pulled into the cargo bay, she did just as she planned. River glanced around with wide eyes as Kaylee coaxed her to the passengers' suite. It was unsettling when the girl was in this mood. The way she looked at everyone and everything, like it was the first time.

"Come on, Sweetie, let's get you in a warm shower."

"Simon?" Her voice was tiny.

"He's ok," Kaylee said, helping her shrug out of the oversized coat. "He's in the infirmary. After we get you cleaned up and dressed we'll go see him, ok?

River smiled brightly as she chirped, "Alright!"

Kaylee lifted the stained blue dress over the girl's head as she kicked off her boots. While River finished undressing, the mechanic started the shower, letting the stream get warm before the thin woman stepped in. Steam began to billow as hot water poured onto her chilled skin, turning it pink.

Leaving River splashing in the water, dirt and twigs swirling around the drain, Kaylee gathered up the discarded clothes from the floor. She picked up the pair of heavy wool socks and noticed how big they were. She set them aside, along with Jayne's coat, and dumped the rest into a hamper.

Washed, dried, and dressed warmly, River sat patiently while Kaylee braided her long dark hair.

"Feel better, Honey?" Kaylee twined thick strands and wrapped the end of the plait with a tie.

"Much. Can we go see Simon now?"

"Of course. He'll probably want to take a look at those scratches."

The girl turned to Kaylee and asked, "Is he mad at me?"

"Oh, Sweetie! No!" Kaylee wrapped a comforting arm around the other woman's frail shoulders as pulled her close. "Why would he be mad at you?"

"I wasn't supposed to go for a walk, but I was so bored. When I got outside I heard the voice calling for help. Everyone else was busy so I went to see if I could help."

Kaylee stopped short outside the infirmary. She asked, "What voice?"

"I don't know." She looked far away for a moment. Then, like a switch, she suddenly smiled and sailed through the doorway. "Simon!"

Kaylee heard a soft reply. "Hi, _mei mei_. Don't touch that! Go sit over there."

Finding herself finally faced with the prospect of walking through the infirmary doors, Kaylee lingered. She had a sudden empty feeling in her stomach and her heart pounded. She'd been dying to see Jayne, but now…. She felt woozy. She tried to steel herself, imagining the worst thing she could see when she walked through the door and telling herself it wouldn't be that bad.

She could see River swinging her legs idly as she sat on the bed against the wall, humming absentmindedly.

"Did you do your hair yourself, _mei mei_?" Kaylee couldn't see Simon, but she heard him rooting around in a cabinet.

River pointed toward the hall, "Kaylee did it."

Suddenly, Simon's head popped out of the doorway. "Kaylee?" He wore a frown and his eyebrows were pinched together. "Did you want to come in?"

For a moment her heart tripped along, like it did every time he said her name. Then she blinked and stepped forward. The room was bright. Harsh light reflected off metal and white surfaces.

Simon sat on the bed next to his sister, gauze and antiseptic between them. Jayne lay on the exam table in the center of the room. Zoe'd been right. He didn't look good.

Hours in the sun had tanned his skin, but now he looked pale. He had a clear mask over his nose and mouth, with a hose running to the wall. An IV pump clicked and whirred beside him. Several bags of fluid hung from hooks on the pole and a tube ran into his upper left arm. Blankets were wrapped around his arms and legs and a sheet was draped over his body.

"How is he?" She spoke softly.

Simon sighed, not looking up. "Pneumonia, primarily. He's pretty beat up. Scrapes and bruises, some cracked ribs." These last things he said dismissively, but then he added, "He's got a bad bruise over his chest. I don't like the look of it." After a sigh he continued, "His extremities are freezing. I have heated blankets wrapped around them to warm them up and increase circulation, but he also has a slight fever so I don't want to heat his core." He talked as if he was trying to sort out a puzzle. He glanced to where Kaylee stood awkwardly just inside the room. "Why don't you sit with him? You can hold his hand. Talk to him."

The suggestion was weird to Kaylee. Jayne wasn't the type to hold hands or seek out physical contact. "Is he…?" She trailed off, not moving. Simon's detailed rundown hadn't done anything to ease her concerns.

"Asleep. He's exhausted; understandably so."

After a moment longer, Kaylee rolled a stool over and sat down. Hesitantly, she slid her hand under the blanket. His fingers were cold and twitched at her touch.

"How's River?"

Simon's head bobbed up and his cheeks looked a little pink. "I should have thanked you! I'm sorry. Thank you for taking care of her." He turned back to his work and gave his assessment," These cuts don't look too bad. I think a topical antibacterial ointment should take care of it. Just bumps and bruises, really." There was a whisper of surprise in his tone. "Her fingers are cold, too, but not that bad. When I'm done, if you wouldn't mind – Never mind."

Kaylee flushed, "What? I can do it. What do you need?"

"I was going to ask you if you'd take River up to the kitchen and help her get something warm to drink, but I can take her."

She glanced at the sleeping man. "Shouldn't you stay here," she asked.

"He's stable." Simon shook his head and said, "I can't ask you to keep taking care of her when you haven't even had a shower yourself."

Kaylee suddenly realized how dirty she was and embarrassment washed hotly over her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she murmured, "I'm getting mud everywhere."

Simon laughed, "And I'm not?" He gestured at the crust of mud covering the bottom of his pants. It coated his shins and flaked off his knees.

"Maybe you should get cleaned up first. I don't mind taking River up to the kitchen. Tea sounds really good."

"Only if you're sure."

Kaylee smiled and nodded. She was used to being grimy. Usually it was engine oil, but mud wasn't worse. She'd rather get something to eat and a warm drink. She planned to fall into bed as soon as she was clean. Plus, the opportunity to do a personal favor for Simon…. Nothing in the whole 'verse could keep her from doing that.

He was bandaging a large scratch on River's arm when Jayne started coughing. His hand spasmed in Kaylee's, clenching and unclenching briefly before clamping down. Simon leapt from the bed, flipping a switch on the wall and grabbed a tube with a curved end as a motor kicked on.

"Cough," he ordered, sliding the tube into the other man's mouth. "Cough it up. Stop biting, Jayne!" The doctor jiggled the hose.

Simon was calm as he commanded Jayne to keep coughing and open his mouth. Kaylee realized she was squeezing the sick man's large hand, holding her breath. It sounded terrible to her. Like he was drowning. Finally, with a wet gurgle, the tube did its job and Jayne slumped back into the pillow, panting. The doctor replaced the oxygen mask and wound the tube, switching off the suction.

He glanced at Kaylee and his face twisted. He looked embarrassed and guilty all at once. "Are you ok?"

She lifted a hand and swiped at errant tears on her cheeks. She nodded, but Simon seemed unconvinced.

"He's ok." There was a hint of something dark in his eyes. "I'm sorry I scared you. The suction just helps get all the fluid out of his lungs. It sounds bad, but every cough is progress."

She nodded, swallowing a lump. River just sat passively, waiting for her brother to finish dressing her wound. Simon sat back down with a sigh. He finished with River's arm and rose again. He crossed to squint at a monitor on the wall.

"His vital signs are still good." He turned to Kaylee and said, "You can stay with him if you want. I'll take care of River. I know you two are close, so…." He let it hang for a second, shifting.

Kaylee almost declined but nodded instead. Simon had been worried sick about his little sister and this was the first chance he had to spend time with her in more than a day. No doubt he was eager to get out of the infirmary and talk with her. Their bond was close, and he was very protective of River.

Before leaving, Simon showed the mechanic how to work the suction tube and reassured her that Jayne was stable. With a smile and promise to return soon with tea, the siblings left.

Looking at Jayne, she felt a lurch in her gut. She remembered feeling that same sick roll on Bellerophon when he'd received a massive electric shock. Everyone aboard _Serenity_ had become a part of her personal family, and Jayne was her big brother. Gruff, crass, and always there to keep the family safe, especially her. And she felt protective of him. Underneath his crude humor and sarcastic personality, she had known there was the type of man who'd jump into a raging river to save a girl.

Jayne started coughing again and Kaylee jumped up to grab the suction tubing, but he waved her off. After it passed, he pushed himself up to more of a sitting position.

"How are you feeling?" She hovered over him.

"Like shit," he muttered, pulling down the mask. The act of sitting up seemed to exhaust him. "Looks like you drew the short straw."

"What d'you mean?"

"Cripple duty. You gonna tell me you volunteered to sit in here instead of getting a hot shower and some chow?"

Kaylee sat on the bed across from him. "Well, Simon asked me-"

"Oh, I see," Jayne interjected with a sneer.

"No!" She shook her head. She hadn't meant to sound like she didn't want to be there. "I came down here with River to see how you were doing. After he got her all cleaned up he asked if I wanted to stay while he took her up to the kitchen."

Jayne scoffed but didn't say anything else.

Footsteps sounded outside and the two looked up to see Mal enter with a mug and a bowl.

He glanced between Kaylee and Jayne for a moment, then handed the mug to his engineer.

"Feel like eating some stew," Mal asked, raising the bowl.

When his large crewman nodded, he set the bowl on a small, wheeled table and raised the back of the exam table.

"There's more up on the stove if you're hungry," the captain told Kaylee. "I'll stay here with Jayne."

Kaylee was hungry, and she got the feeling the offer was really more of an order, so she took a quick sip of her tea and left. Behind her, she heard the weapon's expert grumbling.

"Don't need no _gorram_ babysitters."

Instead of going upstairs, she lingered out of sight but within ear shot. She heard Mal ask Jayne how he was feeling, and Jayne complain that everyone was treating him like he was dying.

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Mei mei_ _(Xiao mei mei)_ – Little sister


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Chapter 13**

Mal wearily poured another cup of coffee. Unlike the rest of the crew, he didn't have the leisure of allowing himself to recover from the physical and emotional demands of the last two days.

They had wrapped up their last job without a hitch and should have been on their way to meet Inara, but they had lost time with the rescue mission. _Serenity_ was in the air and leaving orbit almost as soon as everyone was back onboard, racing to make up time. He had to keep up with the Companion's schedule as well as his own or he stood to lose his tenant.

He also needed to figure out the crew's next job. In his mind, he calculated the risk of doing business with only Zoe and his guns as support. He could pick up a mercenary for one or two jobs he reckoned, but did he really feel comfortable with a stranger watching his back. Then again, Jayne had made it clear that for the right price he'd put a bullet in Mal's head.

Maybe it was the transparency that gave the captain his trust in the weapons expert. He was sure he'd see it coming, even if only for a second, just like Jayne's old crew had. But anyone else, hell, they were more likely to shoot a guy in the back.

He was still puzzling over his next endeavor when Shepherd Book returned to the kitchen. He'd brought two steaming mugs and a bowl of stew to the bridge.

The older man had had a pot of the bitter drink brewing when Mal walked in and had told the captain to help himself while he carried his delivery up for the Washburns. It was likely Wash would be flying through the night, and Zoe was sure to join him as soon as she was out of the shower.

"Wash think we're going to make our rendezvous?" Mal didn't look up as the older man entered the room.

"He seemed to think so," Book responded, fixing himself a cup of tea.

The two sat in pregnant silence for a while.

Finally, the priest asked, "Does River seem to be alright? I wasn't down in the hold when you all came in."

"Seems to be." Mal took another sip of the hot black coffee. "She took a bit of a beating, but it don't seem to have done her much harm."

"Simon must be relieved."

"I imagine. Kaylee took the girl to get her cleaned up when we got here."

"Finding the two of them was certainly a miracle, wasn't it?"

 _Lucky? Yes. Unexpected? Definitely._ Mal wasn't willing to confirm a miracle to a man of God. "Better than I expected," he finally admitted.

The captain gained a reprieve from further uncomfortable conversation as Simon and River entered the kitchen.

The girl leaned over the men at the table, peering into their mugs.

"I want coffee, Simon," she announced.

"I'm sure you do, _mei mei_ ," he said calmly. "Sit down. I'm making you some chamomile tea, then I'll find you something to eat."

She dropped onto a chair across from Mal and stuck her tongue out at her brother's back. Book rose and began ladling out a serving of stew warming on the small stove.

"How's Jayne?" Mal cut to point without ceremony or niceties. He felt something ugly welling inside him as he looked at the girl across from him.

"Not bad, considering." Simon sighed as he set down the tea next to the bowl of stew.

"Considering he spent the night God knows where in the middle of a storm instead of his bunk, or considering he almost drowned saving your _chwen joo_ sister?" The ugliness coiled around his heart as he spat out the words, and perverse pleasure washed over him as Simon blanched.

Mal had nearly spaced Jayne for contacting the feds about the Tams' whereabouts, but now a part of him wondered if he shouldn't have left the siblings behind long ago. Mal felt old wounds reopening.

Simon was a huge asset to the crew. His natural skill and expensive training was priceless and something Mal had never considered being able to obtain for _Serenity_. But, he wasn't willing to sacrifice one crew member for another.

It was something he'd decided during the war. He would never allow one person to put another at risk; especially not the entire platoon.

As much as Simon was an asset, River was a hinderance. It was long past time for the siblings to get their act together.

"Captain, I -"

"You need to get control of your sister, or we are leaving you on the next planet." Mal stood, his chair scraping against floor. "Now I'm going to see to my crew. You've got until we catch up with Inara to have a _gorram_ plan."

He scooped a bowl of stew and poured a mug of tea, then stormed from the silent room off toward the infirmary. The outburst had taken Mal by surprise. He could feel heat still rolling up his neck and into his face.

Against all odds, things had worked out. Now they were rushing to keep their schedule and find another payday. There was no reason, or time, to be angry. In truth, the rage he'd felt filling him wasn't about Jayne or the Tams. It never was. Sure, he yelled at the crew sometimes, and he'd threatened most of them for some stupid move at least once. But really, if he had been honest, his mind wasn't really on _Serenity_ at those times. It was in the trenches watching Bendis and all the rest die. Having his crew put in danger drug him back to waiting for air strikes that never came, evacuation plans that fell by the wayside, and the inability to do anything to keep the men and women who followed him trustingly from getting killed.

Coming down the back stairs, Mal was gratified to see Jayne sitting up, talking to Kaylee. The cup of tea he'd brought his mother-hen engineer now seemed insufficient. Her clothes were sweat stained, and she was splattered with dry mud from head to toe. Her brown hair had come loose and was plastered to her neck and face. But, she took the mug like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"Feel like eating some stew," Mal asked, raising the bowl toward the man on the exam table.

Jayne nodded, so he set it on a small wheeled table by the bedside and repositioned the back of the chair. Once he was more comfortable, the large man started eating.

"There's more up on the stove if you're hungry," the captain told Kaylee. "I'll stay here with Jayne."

Kaylee took a sip and nodded before heading out the door.

"Don't need no _gorram_ babysitters." Jayne grumbled. He stared coughing again and motioned for a small metal basin on the counter. Once it was in his hands, he spat into it.

"Mhmm," Mal murmured, watching as the bowl was set on the tray. "How are you feeling?"

"Wish everyone would stop asking me that!" He scraped the bottom of the stew bowl and licked the spoon. "Like everyone's expecting me to die. It's irritatin'."

Mal shook his head. "What the hell were you thinking?" His voice was hard but there was a hint of bemused wonder.

"Wasn't."

" _Gorramit_ , Jayne!" Finally, humor won out. Laughing, he said, "First you nearly get killed trying to get rid of the girl, then you nearly get killed trying to save her. You're as _kwong-juh duh_ as she is!"

Jayne scowled. "If'n all yer gonna do is kick a man when he's down, you can leave." He barely finished before he started coughing again.

Mal used his foot to roll the little table with the metal bowl closer to the exam bed.

"Want some more stew?"

Clearing his throat, the other man shook his head and spat into the basin. He seemed suddenly drained, panting a little as he leaned back into the pillows. With eyes closed, he slid the mask up over his face.

When Jayne's breathing slowed, and he seemed to have fallen asleep again, Mal stood. He dimmed the lights on the way out.

 _Chwen joo_ – Idiot/moron

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)

 _Kwong-juh duh_ – nuts [crazy]

 _Mei mei_ _(Xiao mei mei)_ – Little sister


	14. Epilogue

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing! This is fanfic - it's for fun and experience only. No profit.

 **Main Characters:** The main action of the story focuses on Jayne and River, but nearly every character has a chapter from their POV.

 **A/N:** Huge shout-out and thank you to everyone for their reviews and suggestions! Credit to browncoats. com for translations.

 **Epilogue**

When Jayne woke, the room was darker and the whole ship seemed to be quiet. Every inch of his body ached, and he wasn't sure if it was from sleeping on the exam table or his body finally feeling the effects of his adventure. Likely, the one wasn't helping the other.

There was an aching pressure in his bladder. He muttered an oath, tossed off the sheet covering him and pulled the mask over his head. The tube in his arm tugged where it was taped down. His irritation rose. His first impulse was to pull the thing out of his arm, but the small voice of Jayne's common sense told him that would only cause more suffering for himself in the long run. The pump and bags of fluid were all organized on a wheeled pole, so he unplugged the machine and shuffled out to the head.

He was surprised to find his head didn't spin, and even though his lungs still crackled with each breath, his chest didn't feel tight.

Taking a piss had never felt so good.

He stretched some of the kinks out of his shoulders and cracked his neck before slowly dragging the pole back to the infirmary.

Stepping across the threshold, his heart nearly stopped.

" _Gorramit_ , girl," he growled.

River sat on the other bed, swinging her legs. She seemed wide awake, clearly oblivious it was the middle of the night.

After getting resituated, Jayne eyed her with a frown. She gave him a strange smile and narrowed her eyes. "I can kill you with my mind." Her voice was distant, thoughtful.

"You've told me that before."

"But I won't." She gave a small shrug and began glancing around the room.

"That mean we're square, or just that you're gonna use something else?"

She started humming, still swinging her legs out of rhythm. A strange smile gently curving her thin lips.

 _Gorram_ – Damn (roughly, generic swear word)


End file.
